1896 to 1898 · Civil codes

Japanese Civil Code

Japan

Japan's modern civil code, adopted in the Meiji period to replace unequal treaties and modernise the state.

Why it matters

It brought German-style law to East Asia, and it was in turn a model for Korea and Taiwan.

Built on

1896 (in force 1900)

German Civil Code (BGB)

Germany

the final code followed the German draft's structure

1804

French Civil Code (Napoleonic Code)

France

an earlier draft by a French adviser was based on the French code

Went on to shape

1925 to 1935

Thai Civil and Commercial Code

Thailand

drew on the Japanese code

1929 to 1931

Civil Code of the Republic of China

China (now in force in Taiwan)

used the Japanese code as a source and a bridge to German law

1958 (in force 1960)

Korean Civil Code

South Korea

kept the structure and much of the content of the Japanese code

Countries in the Legal Families Atlas

Japan

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TheLawToKnow Tools’s timeline lists links of influence only where the borrowing is widely documented. Historians sometimes disagree about how much one text shaped another. It is an educational overview, not legal advice.